Don Reeder, “A Cross to Bear, Says Pastor,” Indianapolis Star, May 11, 1959, p. 1 – Transcript || Annotation || Archive
A Cross To Bear, Says Pastor
By DON REEDER
Associated Press Reporter
“It’s a little hard to understand these things,” the Rev. James Jones said yesterday in a trembling voice. “Those people were like my flesh and blood.”
“Those people” were four adults and the minister’s adopted 4-year-old Korean War orphan — all killed early yesterday when two cars smashed together on a Shelby County highway. One other youth died in the second auto.
Only a 10-year-old boy survived from the carload of church workers returning from services in Cincinnati. The Rev. Mr. Jones himself had stayed in Cincinnati to preach an exchange sermon yesterday in the Elmwood Temple, while the Rev. Edwin Wilson came to Indianapolis to take over his pulpit in the People’s Temple.
ALL FOUR ADULTS were devout church workers. Mrs. Dallas Johnson, 55 years old, was a social worker at the Indiana Woman’s Prison and was performing church duties while on leave of absence.
Mrs. Mable Stewart, 46, supervised the church’s nursing home. Mrs. Pearl Nance, 50, was a nurse in the home operated by the Community Church. Mrs. Barbara Payne, 26, taught in the church school.
“Mrs. Johnson was going to Brazil in July to visit her son, Robert,” the minister explained. “He’s a missionary down there. We were training Mrs. Nance to be a missionary in Africa. It’s a terrible loss.”
Little Stephanie Jones — her Korean name was Yun Eun Soon — was adopted by the minister and his wife last October. They already had adopted three other children, and Mrs. Jones expects her own first child in 10 years of marriage next month.
“SHE WAS an exceptional child,” said the Rev. Mr. Jones. “Already she could speak perfect English. At least we have the consolation of knowing she received more love in those few months than in her entire life before.”
The 27-year-old minister and law student said he had a premonition of impending tragedy before the group departed Cincinnati Saturday night.
“For some strange reason I told them that some of our people will never be back,” he said. “I don’t know what made me say it.”
The Rev. Mr. Jones said he would go ahead with his regular Sunday evening radio sermon, adding:
“We teach others to carry their Cross. Now we’ll take ours.”
The minister said he and his wife, Marceline, 31, already have decided to adopt more children — including at least one other Korean War orphan.
“That way,” he sighed, “Stephanie will be living on.”